In certain circumstances and applications, it is desirable to provide the introduction of an air-water mixture into a body of water. Aquariums, for example, in order to maintain marine life require the introduction of oxygen into the water. Similarly, underwater divers require the assistance of oxygen tanks or snorkels in order to provide sufficient oxygen to the diver to allow him to keep his face submerged for any length of time. While a certain level of oxygen may pre-exist in various aqueous environments or be generated by underwater plant life, it is frequently necessary to oxygenate the water environment to achieve the minimum oxygen level sufficient to sustain the desired life. Moreover, with respect to aquarium applications, it may also be desirable to provide aeration of aquariums in the form of bubble effects, lift tubes or air walls, for aesthetic purposes.
Most existing mechanical pumps for providing the oxygenation or aeration of water, e.g., diaphragm pumps, piston-type pumps and bellow-type pumps, have numerous, often intricate, moving parts. Cumbersome tanks or air lines connected to heavy generators are generally used to allow a diver to submerge for any significant length of time underwater. Often the air provided to divers by these methods is impure and contaminated by compressor oils. This air contamination problem also exists in many air delivery pumps in aquarium applications and other contained aquatic environments.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide novel apparatus and method of delivering an air-water mixture into a body of water where the air being introduced is relatively pure and uncontaminated by pollutants.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel apparatus and method of delivering an air-water mixture into a body of water wherein the novel apparatus and method has no moving parts, once it is set in place, that can break down or contaminate the air.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a novel apparatus and method for delivering an air-water mixture into a body of water where the air is provided from an ambient source.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a novel apparatus and method for delivering an air-water mixture into a body of water in which both the velocity of the air-water mixture and the amount of air entering the body of water may be varied.
A more specific object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable air delivery means for introducing a selected amount of aspirated air into a stream of water conducted within a tube means, the aspirated air being conducted in an air conducting tube having one end open to the atmosphere, the delivery means includes a flow means in the water tube means having a variable diameter throat and an axis, an outlet means for discharging air into the water stream in a variable spaced relation to the throat, a telescoping means for adjusting the spaced relation of telescopically related water conducting members and a connector means between one end of the telescopically related members and the water tube means whereby movement of the telescopically related water conducting members relative to the throat varies the space between the throat and the air outlet means and accordingly varies the water flow area and the amount of aspirated air.
A further specific object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for delivering an air-water mixture to a body of water in a container and including a water pump and tube means for conducting water from the pump to the container and including an air delivery means having a cylindrical housing with a longitudinal axis, an elongated sleeve slidable engaged with the housing, a locking means for locking the sleeve in a selected location, an air conducting tube extending along the longitudinal axis to an air discharge port, a variable diameter throat means, whereby the amount of air introduced to said water may be varied by axis movement of the sleeve which, in turn, varies the distance between said throat and said air discharge port.
And another specific object of the prevent invention is to provide an apparatus for delivering a mixture of ambient air and water into an aquarium tank, when the air is introduced through an air conducting tube having an end located above the surface of the water in the tank.
Various other advantages and objects of the present invention will be readily apparent from the following description of the drawings in which an exemplary embodiment and alternative embodiment of the invention are described.